School Daze
by futureREFLECTIONS
Summary: A look at all of our favorite earth-saving hero's journey's through elementary, junior, and high school. AU, Possible OOC, Possible character death but not until much later, if at all R&R, please.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This is the cleverly titled "FFVII: School Daze" series. The main POV will be a narrator (ahem, me) and I think, if enough people ask, I'll redo a chapter or two in character POV. I've been wanting to do this for the longest time, and now that it's summer, I'll finally have time. Be prepared for some intense randomness. This is mostly for entertainment purposes. I will also be posting my mood-setting-songs list for each chapter. Right below that disclaimer.

**Warnings:** There is definite AU, OOC, and a slight chance of character death.

**Disclaimer:** I won't own FFVII, not until I become Optimus Prime and show Tetsuya how hacking cool I am and he decides to let me keep Vincent and Cloud and Zack forever and ever. In which case I will have absolutely nothing to do with them because by that point I will have become a gigantic alien robot.

**Mood-Setting-Songs:  
**Stay Where I Can See You - The Starting Line

Another thing to notice is that this part is extremely short. They will get longer, **I PROMISE**, but there's only so much you can write from the mind of a five-year-old, you know? Once I hit the higher grade the chapters will grow in length.

* * *

**Chapter 1  
****Kindergarten**

* * *

I was a terrified little five-year-old, walking into the Neibleheim West Elementary School. I had on a little pink dress that was tied in back with a bow, and my dark hair fell around my shoulder. My father held my left hand, and in my right I clutched my generic pink plastic lunch box.

It was my first day of school, ever, and I couldn't believe that my father was just leaving me here. I didn't know what I was going to do. He told me that he was taking me to school, and that he would come back for me at the end of the day. I would have to spend the whole entire day with people I didn't know, and a teacher I'd never met before.

The worst part was I had to leave my brand new puppy Abby home all alone.

The thought made my heart ache, and I just wanted to go home with my daddy and see my Abby and crawl into bed and never come out.

But I puckered my face defiantly and put my chin up, pretending that I wasn't afraid, and that I was happy to be here.

"Alright, Tifa. I'll be back this afternoon, and you can tell me all about your first day of kindergarten. Okay?" my dad had crouched down and put his hands on my shoulder. I nodded; if I couldn't be brave for my own good, I would do it for my dad's sake.

I knew at a very young age that my father had been broken beyond fixing when my mother died. I could see it in his eyes, in his face, in his tired and defeated posture, but mostly in his smile. It was a good smile, but it was the smile of a ruined man.

"Okay daddy," I smiled, and kissed him on his cheek before giving him a big hug.

"Have fun," he insisted with a small smile, before kissing my forehead and heading out the door.

I did have fun, to my immense surprise.

The first person I met, aside from Ms. Kibby, was a blond boy named Cloud Strife. He wore a pair of jeans, light up shoes, and a shirt with a dinosaur on it.

"How come you're eyes are all red?" his little 5-year-old voice demanded, and I looked up at him, standing there with his hands in his pockets, and felt like hitting him. He wasn't supposed to call me out like that, and I knew it. Even as a child, I knew Cloud's arrogance. He was a hit with everyone but me in that kindergarten class, and I knew it was mostly my fault for getting so excited over nothing, but I was still angry and appalled by him for years to come.

"It's none of your bees wax!" I cried, and he gave me a small smirk before turning and running back over to his friends that were playing with the blocks.

I rubbed my eyes fiercely, embarrassed that I was crying like a big baby on my first day of school. A small girl approached me wearing a white dress that had a flower design, little sandals, and her light brown hair tied up in two spiraling pigtails with a few stray curls falling around her face.

"Don't listen to him, he's just a stupid dummy boy," she insisted, and sat down next to me.

"My name is Aeris Gainsborough. What's yours?" she grinned, and I felt more comfortable already.

"Tifa Lockheart."

"It's very nice to meet you," she beamed at me, and I smiled back at her.

"Hey Tifa, we should make a club," she suggested, and I agreed enthusiastically, "and we won't allow any stupid smelly boys in, either."

So we got up and ran to the tables where the paper and crayons were located and made ourselves a sign; since it was our first day of school, neither of us could write correctly, but we sure as hell tried. I suspect that it turned out to be something like a bunch of scribbles and a few deformed people, but we knew what it meant, and we made sure that everyone else did too.

"Tifa," a deep, unmistakable voice said from the doorway after school. Just like he told me he would be, my father was standing there by the door, his suit slightly less pressed and neat than it was this morning. I rushed toward him and he crouched down, his arms open and waiting for me.

"DADDY, DADDY, I MADE A BEST FRIEND!" I squealed with joy when he picked me up and swung me in a circle.

"Did you now? What's their name?" he asked curiously, grabbing my lunchbox out of my cubby and waving to my teacher before he carried me on his hip down the hallway of the school.

"Her name is Aeris and we made up a club house and everything!"

I explained everything to him on the way home, and he smiled his first real smile for me since my mother died that night when he tucked me into bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:**I'm just your average Thundercats ho. And also, I'm very sorry this took so long. I've got about four good reasons, but all you need to know is that I've been very busy, extremely stressed, and living life away from the computer. Summer school is shit, but it ends July 30th. In the month that I have free, I'll try to update more, but I have no guarantees.

**Warnings:**There is definite AU, OOC, and a slight chance of character death (much later, if at all).

**Disclaimer:**Don't own FFVII, Thundercats, Barney, Britney Spears, Pokemon, Kimya Dawson, ACDC, Cool Ranch Doritos's, Strawberry Shortcake, Twinkies, or any other product I've mention in the following. This is starting to be ridiculous, not gonna lie. And I dedicate this chapter to Liz. Because we pee our pants when Reno says "Ohhh gooooood." And yes, Kadaj's milkshake DOES bring all the boys to the yard.

**Mood-Setting-Songs:**  
Tree Hugger - Kimya Dawson  
Crazy - Britney Spears  
Highway to Hell - ACDC

Chapter 2  
Grade One

"RENO, GIVE ME BACK MY BALL!" Tifa screeched, chasing the red-headed nuisance as he darted quickly across the field, laughing loudly.

"ONLY IF YOU DO WHAT I SAY!" Reno called over his shoulder, jumping skillfully over a root that jutted out of the ground. Tifa, however, was not so alert.

Her foot caught the root and she was sent tumbling harshly into the ground, landing hard on her stomach and elbows. Instantly, the tears began flowing, and the sobs came pouring out faster than the salty liquid that accompanied them.

Reno skidded to a stop on the pavement; he heard Tifa screaming and looked back to see her on the ground, her face red and stained with tears. Aeris was running as fast as she could toward her friend, but she was all the way across the playground, whereas Reno was not twenty feet away. He dropped the ball he was clutching and it bounced off toward the swings as he ran back to the injured girl.

"Tifa, are you okay?!" he asked, alarmed. She rolled over, and the boy's heart broke a little. Her favorite pink dress was stained with dirt and grass, and her elbows and knees were no cleaner.

Reno helped the girl off the ground just as Aeris reached them, her eyes wide and curious.

Tifa tried to speak, but it came out a sputtered mumbled as she attempted bravely to stop the tear flow. By this time, Reno was trying to calm down Aeris who was getting overly dramatic about the whole thing, while he supported Tifa, leading her over to the Teachers-AID that was outside.

Cloud and Zack watched from atop the slides, snickering at the pitiful sight.

"Tifa is so weird. And Reno actually _likes_ her!" Zack exclaimed, and Cloud snorted, looking at his best friend before the two of them started laughing.

"Only a freak like Reno would like _her_," Cloud agreed, and the two boys slid down the slides and raced each other across the woodchips to the other playground, where they would most likely play a game of tag.

Meanwhile, Reno was instructed to take Tifa to the office, while Aeris went slowly and unsurely back to the playground where Cissnei and Lucrecia were waiting. The three of them walked to the swings together. On the way, Zack (who was tearing across the open space in a bout of typical childlike reckless abandonment) collided roughly with Aeris. She fell to the ground, and he apologized quickly, helping her up, before taking off across the woodchips after Cloud, who now had a huge advantage on him.

It was a typical day at the elementary school, especially the arrival of Sephiroth. He was old, bigger, and meaner than the rest of our hero's, and took full advantage of it.

Zack and Cloud spotted him walking across the playground, tossing a baseball up in the air and catching it, a smug sneer on his face.

"Zack, Sephiroth is coming," Cloud said, his voice quiet and hurried.

"Are you really still afraid of him? He can't hurt us," Zack scoffed, overly confident. By the time he finished his sentence, Seph was already on the playground, one level down from the two boys, but still taller.

"Hello children," he smirked, and Zack noticed Cloud swallow hard.

"Hey Sephiroth," he said offhandedly. He wasn't afraid of the older boy.

"How about a game of catch, Zack?"

"Actually, Cloud and I are kind of busy. Maybe later," he told him, and Sephiroth glared. It wasn't often that he was denied when he demanded something of the younger kids.

"Cloud can play too. I promise not to go too hard on him."

"Are you kidding? Have you ever seen Cloud catch? He's terrible!" Zack shouted, and Seph barked a laugh while Cloud glared at his friend's smiling face.

"I'm sure Cloud has other friends, Zack."

It was true, Cloud did have friends, a lot of them, but he wanted to hang out with Zack.

Zack deliberated for a bit, before nodding and shooting Cloud a sorry look.

Cloud couldn't believe his best friend just ditched him for a crabby older boy. It made him made, and he had to fight the urge to hit Zack in the face. He was slightly shocked at his sudden burst of violence feelings, but ignored them and hopped off the slide, making his way over to Barrett and Cid, who were swinging.

Later that afternoon, while Cloud was in his room, listening to his favorite tape, he pushed back all of the bad feelings he had about the abandonment he suffered through today and danced to his very favorite song.

"You drive me craaaazy, I just can't sleep, I'm so excited, I'm in too deep, OHHH CRAAAZY, BUT IT FEELS ALRIGHT, BABY THINKIN' OF YOU KEEPS ME UP ALL NIGHT-" he was cut off abruptly by his door being shoved open and Zack standing there, staring at him like he had boogers all over his face.

"What the heck are you doing, Cloud?" he asked, gripping the bag of Cool Ranch Doritos tighter.

"Nothing, why?" Cloud muttered, shutting off his tape player and pushing his blond bangs out of his eyes nervously.

"We're missing our show, loser," Zack rolled his eyes, and Cloud's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Zack nodded, and they both ran out to Cloud living room, plopping down on the couch just in time for the opening theme.

"Thunder….thunder….thunder….THUNDERCATS! HOOOOOO!" the two boys screamed along with Lionel, before Zack ripped open the Doritos and the friends began their feast.

About two miles down the road, Tifa sat in the big lazy-boy chair, practically drowning in it's vastness, watching Strawberry Shortcake while Reno complained about missing Thundercats.

Reno's parents dropped him off on the promise that Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart would watch him while they went out for their anniversary dinner.

It was bad enough that he was stuck here with Tifa, but it was even worse that this girl was torturing him with the likes of Strawberry Shortcake.

Rude was probably sitting at home, stuffing his face with Twinkies and watching the new episode of Thundercats.

Reno grumbled a few things about how stupid girls were, and why didn't Tifa just go in her parents room to watch Strawberry Shortcake or Barney or any of the other stupid shows that girls watched, and how he should just go find some food or walk to Cloud and Zack's house to watch Thundercats.

Instead of doing any of those things, Reno dug around in his backpack and pulled out his new deck of Pokemon cards that he had yet to open. He sifted through the cards, satisfied with the amount of new and rare Pokemon he possessed. Reno was especially pleased with the holographic Charazard and the number forty-nine unknown, Raiquaiza.

Back at the Fair house, as the end credits and theme of Thundercats rolled, Zack and Cloud bolted out the door and into the driveway, where their bikes were located. It was their plan, which they did every Wednesday since they became friends, or learned how to ride bikes. They would watch Thundercats, then bike to the park and pretend to be Lionel and Panthro, their two favorite characters from the show.

As the two boys raced to the park, they belted the words to their new favorite song, "Highway To Hell" by ACDC.

"I'M ON A HIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHWAY TO HELL!" Zack screamed, Cloud doing the same.

It was always like this.

Zack and Cloud having the time of their lives, while Reno was stuck with Tifa.

But even Reno had to admit to himself that it wasn't that bad.

In fact, it wasn't bad at all.


End file.
